Pharmacy robberies worry city

Tuesday

Jan 14, 2014 at 12:01 AMJan 16, 2014 at 7:18 PM

STOCKTON - Police have been stymied by a series of robberies and burglaries of Stockton pharmacies, including several armed takeovers during which employees and customers are ordered to the ground and the robbers jumped over counters, stealing drugs and cash.

Joe Goldeen

STOCKTON - Police have been stymied by a series of robberies and burglaries of Stockton pharmacies, including several armed takeovers during which employees and customers are ordered to the ground and the robbers jumped over counters, stealing drugs and cash.

At least seven incidents at five different pharmacies dating back to May 20 have occurred, including five in the past two months, but Stockton police have little evidence to follow up on.

"Our investigators don't have any solvable leads, so right now they're hoping someone will have information regarding one or more of these robberies and burglaries to lead them to a good arrest," police spokesman Officer Joe Silva said Monday.

All the reported incidents have taken place in locally owned pharmacies, not any of the major chain stores, and no one has been reported injured.

One of the primary targets of the robbers has been promethazine with codeine, a syrup that commands a street price of anywhere from $200 to $1,200 a pint, according to law enforcement authorities.

When used for its intended medical purposes, prescription promethazine with codeine treats cold or allergy symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and cough, according to Drugs.com. The codeine is a narcotic intended for pain relief and suppressing coughs.

On the street, Promethazine is the primary ingredient in Purple Drank, a concoction that involves mixing the syrup with Sprite or Mountain Dew, then adding ice and Jolly Rancher candies to add color and flavor.

"It's real popular in the hip-hop community," Silva said. "After drinking it, the effects on the body include a swooning-type euphoria that makes a person feel woozy and provides some type of sedative effect. The ultimate risk is that it's possible to take an overdose of codeine when abusing Purple Drank that could result in an overdose or even death."

Silva said he was not aware of any reported deaths recently as a result of overdosing on codeine.

Police investigators made the following crime details public Monday in the hope that someone will be able to provide them with new information.

» On Jan. 3 between 5:34 and 5:50 p.m., two men armed with handguns entered the Dameron Hospital Pharmacy at 400 W. Acacia St., yelling "Get down! Get down!" as one robber jumped the counter. As he looked for narcotics, his accomplice was yelling at people in the lobby. He became frustrated because he could not find any narcotics and took cash out of the register before both men fled, leaving behind a black duffel bag.

» On Dec. 5 at 5:10 p.m., two armed men entered Calmont Pharmacy, 2800 N. California St., and ordered everyone to the ground at gunpoint. One robber went behind the counter and stole money from the cash drawer while the other ordered an employee to open the safe. He took thousands of Norco and Vicodin prescription painkillers and stuffed them into a large black duffel along with the stolen cash before both men fled. Witnesses who entered the store shortly afterward reported seeing them leave in a tan or peach-colored, two-door, older-model Dodge or Plymouth, possibly a Neon, with a curved/rounded body style from the 1990s or early 2000s.

» On Nov. 25 at 12:05 p.m., a man entered the Dameron Hospital Pharmacy, jumped the counter and began grabbing promethazine before jumping back over the counter and fleeing in a green Chevrolet Tahoe.

» On Nov. 21 at 5:15 p.m., two masked men entered Charter Way Pharmacy, 201 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and ordered everyone to the ground. One robber went behind the counter and grabbed bottles of promethazine and asked if there was any more, while his accomplice approached the cashier, simulated a weapon with his hand in his pocket and demanded money. The robbers then fled with the drugs and cash. No weapons were seen.

» On Oct. 16 at 4:23 p.m., a masked man entered Charter Way Pharmacy, ordered everyone to the ground and yelled, "Where's the promethazine with codeine?" He then ran behind the counter, found the drug, filled up a red and black backpack strapped to his chest and fled. No weapon was seen.

» On May 20 at 1:56 a.m., police responded to a smashed window at Weston Ranch Pharmacy, 3500 S. Manthey Road, where bottles of promethazine were reported stolen.

A longtime local pharmacist, who requested that his name and pharmacy not be reported out of concern for his employees and customers, said the surge in robberies has his peers on alert. All are increasing their security measures.

"They used to break in at night. Now it is armed robberies during the day," the pharmacist said, noting that he and others have added extra security.

Some pharmacies have hired armed guards and some are reconstructing their counter areas and even adding bulletproof glass to protect their employees and prescription medications.

The Stockton Police Department is asking citizens to call if they have information pertaining to any of these investigations at (209) 937-8377, the Investigations Unit at (209) 937-8323, or Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600, where callers can remain anonymous and receive up to a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

They can also text information to CRIMES (274637) and type the keyword TIPSPD and then the tip, or log on to the Stockton Police Department's Facebook page and click "Submit A Tip."

Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/goldeenblog and on Twitter @JoeGoldeen.